Tea Tree Oil.
Tea tree oil is a great essential oil. It smells refreshing and can be used for a variety of purposes. It has antimicrobial properties and I use it as a household disinfectant. However, while tea tree oil is good for many things, it is toxic if consumed – so, do not ingest it. Now, here are my 5 favorite ways to use tea tree oil.
1. Tea tree oil for body piercings
I first started using tea tree oil when I developed a keloid (raised scar) on my rook (ear cartilage) piercing. My body piercer recommended tea tree oil to reduce the keloid. Everyday for several weeks I rubbed a cotton swab dipped in tea tree oil on my piercing site and the keloid eventually disappeared completely.
Now I use tea tree oil whenever my piercings get a little irritated (red, sore, oozy) and it clears them right up. You should never use tea tree oil on unhealed piercings (within 6 weeks of getting pierced) or mucus membranes (nostrils, mouth, eyes, genitals).
2. Tea tree oil for pimples
Tea tree oil is a great natural way to treat acne, but you must use it diluted. Undiluted tea tree oil is too harsh for your face. The easiest way to dilute tea tree oil for use to clear up pimples, is to take a cotton swab dipped in tea tree oil and run it under cool water for a second. Then, swab the pimples and let your skin dry. It’s best to do this after washing your face. I find it works best on whiteheads, but can be used on blackheads too.
3. Tea tree oil for itchy and/or stinky feet
Tea tree oil is an effective treatment for various foot symptoms. Itchy and/or stinky feet are often caused by fungal infections like athlete’s foot. In fact, I learned from my podiatrist that many people have chronic cases of athlete’s foot but their symptoms are so mild – feet that itch after a long day or shoes that smell when you stick your nose right into them – that they don’t even realize it. For serious infections, you may need something stronger, but for general foot care, tea tree oil is perfect.
You can soak your feet in a foot bath (tub, sink, bucket) with warm water and a few drops of tea tree oil or you can use a few drops along with an abrasive (like baking soda or epsom salt) to create a foot scrub. Along with treating the itch and smell, tea tree oil will also help soften your feet.
My favorite way to use tea tree oil on my feet is when I’m giving myself a pedicure. I squeeze some lotion into my palm then add a drop of tea tree oil and work it into the lotion with my hands before massaging it onto my feet. You can also use tea tree oil mixed in with a base oil (like almond or grape seed) for the same effect.
4. Tea tree oil for earaches
My toddler has had two bad ear infections that have led him to be on antibiotics. Since then I’ve been trying to be proactive in keeping him from getting ear infections. After we swim and sometimes even after a bath or shower, I put a few drops of 50/50 alcohol and vinegar in his ears. I also occasionally use a bit of tea tree oil as an added defense.
To help keep your ears infection free, dip a cotton swab in tea tree oil, then squirt a bit of 50/50 alcohol and vinegar onto the swab and swab inside the ears. The alcohol, vinegar and tea tree all act as antimicrobial agents to prevent infection.
5. Tea tree oil for sinus congestion
I have bad allergies and get congested pretty often. A quick fix for my sinus congestion is to use tea tree oil aromatherapy. The easiest way to do this is to fill a pot with a few cups of water then boil it on the stove. When the water is boiling, remove the pot from the stove and add a few drops of tea tree oil. Place your head over the pot and gently inhale.
I like to do this right before I shower and sometimes I bring the pot into the bathroom and put it in the sink so the bathroom can fill up with the tea tree oil steam. This is a great way to treat congestion in babies and toddlers who can’t take over-the-counter medications and it definitely helps my son when he is stuffed up.